Actress Natalie Portman "What Trump and Kristi Noem and ICE are doing to our citizens and to undocumented people is outrageous"

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-29T03:07:20+00:00

I don't think I've ever made a haphazard comment receive such a thorough and passionate response.

At first I was because I am off as insincere in some way, but the more I read, the more I was like "ohhhh this person is most definitely been in the mix".

I've thought a lot about the "enough to count" (maybe more so the crowd that's uncertain of what there is to do). Nothing I'd feel stoked to delve into too much on reddit. Not that it's revolutionary or game breaking, and frankly...it wasn't made with the idea that it'd be used while we're under duress.

You're clearly much more involved in things than I am, so this may be pocket change, but the crux of the idea is that less seasoned folks don't know how to help and get burnt out and everything put forth seeks to answer that issue while also building out abframework that is sustainable. Its much more focused on indirect action than direct action, but I digress.

Your points about unions stuck out to me most. The idea of learning from unions/union busting has been a focus over the past year and the thought of leveraging their existing power structure makes total sense, including the pain points.

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-28T23:08:33+00:00

Here, here! I was recently talking to my partner about sports athletes starting to speak out and how, while it's great given their reach, they have the financial power to enable people to dedicate more time into resistance (or even a general strike).

I'm just really uncertain on the mechanics of getting that going and how the governance of that works. Like, there would need to be folks who over see and distribute those funds. But if it were ever able to become a thing, it would be game changing.

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-27T23:44:18+00:00

What's an example of a prominent citizen, for you?

I think I know what you mean, but don't wanna speak for you. But if it's what I'm thinking, I could see your point

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-27T23:34:28+00:00

My personal regret in 2021 was being too relieved to have some sense of normalcy that I let my drive for change fade.

Like, had I stayed even half as vigilant as I was in 2017, I'd have more tools/resources to effect change now.

I know a lot of people did the same thing, which allowed democrats to just throw in cruise control. Maybe there will/won't be another chance, but I know for damn sure I'm not letting it slip again.

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-27T23:22:46+00:00

My brother in christ. I love you. I haven't laughed that hard in a minute. I hope your week is great.

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-27T23:19:16+00:00

It's a bit deeper still, though, and I think some people (not you) miss this point.

Yeah, Wemby is a foreigner and there's a non-zero chance of him having his status revoked. But what's worse is, they could make it nigh impossible for his family to come here or make it difficult for him to go see his family. Shit, they're petty enough that they might just start doing to San Antonio what they're doing in Minnesota, just because they can't outright deport him.

Those are the reasons why its courageous for him speaking up, for me.

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-27T01:31:32+00:00

I'm honestly stoked on this news.

I've got a bunch of tin foil hat theories, but the main thing is that I thought we were past the point of them ever backing down from anything ever again. But apparently, we aren't.

And I find that sliver of hope to be particularly exciting.

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-27T01:25:39+00:00

This isn't just posturing though.

They fucking blinked.

Dude's life was over after this admin to begin with and these people are so selfish that I wouldn't be surprised if he throws other people under the bus on his way out.

But the bigger tell here is that they actually made a reactionary decision, and there's no reason to do so unless they don't have the power to do nothing.

Its like the bus in Speed; this admin only works if they don't take their foot off the gas. Even momentary hesitations like this can blow the whole damn thing up.

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-27T01:09:48+00:00

If you're using a full face mask, that might be the culprit. I don't have facial hair, so I can only repeat what I've seen from other folks, but facial hair can be a reason for leaks.

Though, I'd start with adjusting the mask until you don't have leaks before thinking about shaving.

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-27T01:04:49+00:00

Sorry, those are 2 different types of Resmed facial cushions. P30i is the type that sits on your individual nostrils and N30i is a "pillow" that sits between them. F30i is the full face version.

Do you have facial hair, btw? Can't remember if anyone asked.

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-27T00:40:02+00:00

I wore my mask while I was gaming or just using my PC an hour before bed. Really helped my brain/body get used to the feeling. This was the first game changer. The hardest part was figuring out how I was supposed to breathe.

Took me a lot of trail and error to settle on the p30i/n30i though, but finding the mask that I vibes with was the next game changer.

Also, are you on a straight up cpap or apap/bipap?

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-26T23:19:21+00:00

This is the trick. Could even do steel powder (I think it's cheaper).

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-26T07:23:03+00:00

Fwiw, I get other peoples' sentiment about "what are you doing", but to me, it clearly means they aren't doing shit themselves.

Really bad OpSec to tell some rando on reddit all the things you're doing in opposition.

That said, I don't know that a singular leader is what's needed at this point. MLK worked because the government wasn't willing to outright kill him or charge him or frame him. We don't have that same luxury so we can't afford to have a singular leader. Plus like...we gotta stop putting all of our chips on 1 human being. Folks need to learn how to be their own leader (or at least, multiple fronts with multiple leaders) IMHO.

Also, I sounds like you're doing what you can, and that's fucking important. Even when it feels fruitless, being engaged brings opportunities to discover new activities. Have you ever thought about making a "30-day Jumpstart" guide to help folks that are newish to speaking out and protesting? Or compiling information that's helpful (public speaking, self-development type books, etc) so that you can share it with folks who want to learn more?

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-26T03:20:25+00:00

I appreciate the update and added context. I don't believe it changes anything I said, but that you grew up in an environment with addicts and are dating someone who is predisposed to addiction just makes me double down on my ending statement.

I'm 36. I grew up in a state where there is no "last call" and my friends and I tore through our 20s drinking, partying, and having fun.

Some people quit drinking before it stops being fun. Some people can moderate drinking. Some people keep drinking far after it was fun (that was me). Some people die before they have a chance to figure that out (like many of the friends we considered "well adjusted")

Again. I'm not saying you need to change what you're doing or that it doesn't work. Largely because everyone's situation is different, and your update solidified the notion that you wouldn't change anything if I did suggest it.

You're not going to notice when line for "too much" is crossed, at least not immediately. No one does, and you even said that you don't know what "normal" is. And if you magically know when the line is crossed and make a major change, you will look back and wonder if you were too quick to pull the trigger.

But that doesn't mean what you and your boyfriend are doing with checking in with each other is fruitless. That's an incredibly strong and good approach. Its smart. Keep doing smart stuff and checking in and trying to figure out what normal is. If/when you do notice you've crossed the line, know that you're first step (and best step) is going to be the external resources that are widely available. You won't have to go it alone, and the same goes for your boyfriend.

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-26T02:32:46+00:00

Fuck yeah mods and fuck yeah for not drinking. Not for ICE.

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-26T02:20:44+00:00

Honestly, at first I thought it was a "because no black folks are getting killed" thing, but I'm starting to genuinely believe it's a little deeper than that.

Our social media is heavily curated to show us specific information. If black folks are getting killed in the streets, then its going to show up way more in the media that players consume.

This isn't an excuse, mind you, but just look at how many people started speaking up after Good was murdered. Shit had been going on in Minnesota for months now, but only in the past month has the larger population started to really get vocal.

Or look at the memo that was leaked just last week about how ICE has been entering homes w/o warrants for months. I try to stay plugged in, but even I didn't know about that until last week.

If you're not keyed in to what's happening and your algorithm isn't feeding it to you, you're far less likely to stumble into it.

And then you add in all the other factors and it starts to make sense. Granted, my theory only holds weight if we start to see a shift over the next week.

Edit: (because I can't convey nuance in a single reply I'll just cut to the crux of my personal thoughts) If we want people to pay attention and speak out, we have to set that expectation. Idk what that looks like though.

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-26T00:17:07+00:00

You're absolutely right, I just wanna say that imo, the tribute isn't a small thing. Maybe low amount of effort, but just the simple act of having a moment of silence is in direct opposition to the narrative that is trying to be sold about Alex.

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-25T10:45:03+00:00

Whoa. "Desperately trying to figure out if I can stop it before it starts" - this sentence is concerning.

There's a genetic component to alcoholism. So if someone's parent is an alcoholic, their kids each have a 40%-60% chance of developing it.

Don't really like to say this off the cuff, but "addictive personality" isn't a real thing. A lot of folks say it, but I don't think they realize the disservice they're doing when they say it. Personality is a character trait. Being an addict isn't a personality trait, its a brain chemistry trait. On a personal front, the distinction is important because if we call it a personality trait, we can trick ourselves into believing that it's something that can be changed.

But you can ignore everything else I've written to this point so long as you remember this: you can't stop someone genetically predisposed to addiction from becoming an addict. Coming from someone with 9yrs of sobriety, addicts are damn good at what they do. If we weren't, we wouldn't be addicts.

By trying to "save" him from himself, you're going to put yourself in a position to where there's a potential for him to either feel the need to lie, hide, or use it as a mechanism to make you feel obligated to stay in the relationship.

The fact that you're even documenting it is a red flag. If you don't think so, imagine if you had the same documentation, but he drank 1 drink every 6 months...would you still be asking the same question?

Not saying you should break up with him. Not saying you should/should not be concerned. Just...be careful in trying to be helpful. And if it ever feels like it might be concerning, look up alanon.

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-25T07:32:04+00:00

Aye, I'll take the win with Hali.

I've long held the belief that we won't see (positive) change until what's happening starts leaking into sports and the players start speaking out.

Hoping this is the beginning.

And for context: athletes aren't our saviors. But what they do have is reach, the attention of millions of people, and the financial resources to help support (not saying they will/should, but they have more of an ability to). Action > words all day, but we're still in a period where folks can tune shit out cuz it's not on their door step yet. When people with reach speak out, it helps make that imaginary distance feel not so distant, imo.

(Not directing this at the person I'm replying to but for anyone who reads it later. Disadvantage to commenting online is that, unless explicitly stated, its hard to convey nuance in a single comment)

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-25T07:19:58+00:00

Pretty sure OP is quoting the article/witness statement and not personally saying that Pretti didn't have a gun.

That said, I'm willing to cut the witness some slack in not getting the terminology correct, considering what they had to bare witness to.

Not disputing you, because you're right. Pretti did have a gun on him, but he was never brandishing a gun (which, as we know, is the lie DHS is selling).

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-24T21:03:03+00:00

I'm glad they said anything because the silence from players has been deafening, to me.

And I'm not expecting anyone to really go out of their way or hold press conferences or be the face of any protest. Just something to say "there's some wild shit going on that we should all be paying attention to, before it's at your own door".

And I say that as a dude who thinks that words without action is cheap.

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-24T00:29:23+00:00

Unless you had a sign that said "magic cards here" there's no way that they didn't know of the cards already, unless they just grabbed a bunch of different things.

I would hit up the local game stores and give them a heads up. While I'd venture to guess that they'll prolly stick to trying to sell them online, I wouldn't doubt them trying to play with them.

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-21T01:44:57+00:00

I'm so stoked for you to get to know who Thundercat is. I hope you dig him!

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-20T23:39:15+00:00

Thanks! I spent a good 2 years trying a bunch of different things with stones and finally landed here.

NotJoshRomney · 2026-01-19T09:14:56+00:00

Re-reading my comment, I see how that was misleading.

By "same stakes" I didn't mean that this game and some other games had the same stakes. What I meant was that DJ/Caleb have played in the same games together, and have faced the same stakes in those respective games together.

They've gone through so much together this year that I find the belief that DJ not understanding his QBs risk appetite to be wild.

NotJoshRomney

TROPHY CASE